


Dutch Courage

by virgilsjourney (jenna221b)



Series: Learning & Loving [14]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Falling In Love, Feelings, Honest Conversations, Humour, Logan & Patton open up, M/M, Party, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 18:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12513540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenna221b/pseuds/virgilsjourney
Summary: “That was a pun,” Logan sighs. He leans forward, resting his head on the counter. “Do you think Patton would have liked it?”“Um-”“But his puns areawful, have you even- one time, when Roman was making pancakes, he said eggcellent.Eggcellent. Like excellent. But eggs.”“Uh, yeah, Logan, I got-”“And I...laughed.” Logan lifts his head off the counter and sighs again. “Genuinely. What does that say about me?”





	Dutch Courage

The drive continues in silence. Virgil tries to distract himself from it, constantly checking his phone to see if Roman has replied, but that just makes it worse.

“Right,” he says loudly.  _“What?”_

“Nothing,” Logan and Patton say in unison.

Virgil rolls his eyes. “Yeah,  _sure_.”

The silence resumes until they draw up to a block of apartments. There’s a window on the top floor that has the lights on, curtains open, and Virgil can already hear music playing from a distance.

“Logan,” Patton says suddenly. “Can you please check my mirrors while I reverse?” He sounds horrifically formal.

Logan does so, but not before muttering, “I thought you would’ve been able to, considering how you can apparently see  _everything_.”

Virgil glances in the front mirror, and sees a distinct flash of irritation in Patton’s eyes. He reverses the car and parks it first, then turns to Logan.“You’re taking everything out of-”

“Virgil,” Logan interrupts, bristling, and Virgil’s first thought is  _Oh, God, don’t drag me into whatever this is._ “I have a...  _hypothetical_ scenario for you. Let’s say there are two people who hypothetically-”

“Um, I don’t really think I should-” Virgil half pleads.

“Well, maybe that person didn’t want to rush you- the other person!” Patton bursts out passionately.

Logan is staring at Patton, frozen in place. “Well, what if the other person was...” His jaw works, and he turns away to look out of the window again. “Scared,” he finishes, and it’s the quietest Virgil has ever heard him. 

Patton turns off the car engine, but he keeps his hands on the steering wheel, gaze fixed straight ahead as if he’s still driving.

“Well, if you’re- if that person  _was_  scared... it’s okay,” he says softly, kindly.

Logan is looking down at his lap, blinking rapidly. Belatedly, Virgil wonders if he could break a window and escape.

“So...” Logan clears his throat. “What are...  _we_ doing?”

This time, the silence lasts for so long that Virgil actually considers whether he  _would_  be strong enough to break a window.

Slowly, Patton reaches across and squeezes Logan’s knee. “I was going to... invite you. To this or...just... I didn’t know if that’s what you wanted.”

Another long pause. “Hypothetically?” Logan whispers, his voice cracking.

_Oh, get **on** with it,_ Virgil silently begs, and he quickly gets out of the car.

It’s only when he actually reaches the front door that he realises what he’s doing, and his nerves kick in. God, he can’t do this alone,  _Roman_ invited him, it’ll look stupid him just appearing out of-

“Hey!” 

Virgil glances up and sees a figure leaning out from the top window. He squints, recognising her as the girl who played Glinda.

“Door’s open, just come right on up!” she calls.

Virgil takes a deep breath, and does what she says, starting to climb the stairs. Thankfully, the apartment isn’t too crowded yet- it’s clear some of the cast are yet to arrive. But that doesn’t stop his skin prickling with unease.

The girl from the window meets him at the door. “So,” she says, grinning, “ _You’re_  the guy. Nice to meet you Virgil.”

“Uh, thanks-?”

“Gabriela,” she says. “Rachel’s still getting that damned green paint off and-”

The apartment buzzer sounds. “Damn it, sorry,” she says, moving back to the door. “Why can people not just walk up like, honestly what is so hard about-”

More of the cast file in, and Virgil keeps close to the wall, trying very hard not to keep on glancing nervously at his phone. And then, there’s food being ordered, everyone shouting out their choices, and Virgil takes the opportunity to slip away to the window. He peers out, and sees that the light in Patton’s car is still on, Patton still in the driver’s seat. He frowns, turning back to scan the room and-

Suddenly, he spies Logan perched on one of the bar stools in the kitchen. Curiously, it looks like he’s on the cusp of falling off it, his upper body swaying just a little. He turns and sees Virgil, and makes a very over the top gesture with his hands, motioning for him to sit down, too.

“Virgil!” he says- almost shouting.

“Uh... hi? What are-”

Logan pulls him onto the nearest stool next to him. “Did you know! Oh my _gosh_ , did you know- You’re one of my best friends, Virge. Best of the best of the best-”

“Logan, what the-” Virgil stops, spotting the very much opened bottle of vodka and shot glass suspiciously near Logan on the counter. “Oh, for fu-”

“Virgil!” Logan exclaims again. This time, Virgil is startled to see tears in his eyes. “Your essay,” he continues, voice choked with emotion, “It was so good. It was really good, I was so  _proud_ , did you get your mark back? You better have got an A plus plus  _plus,_ who marked it, I’ll fight them, I’ll fight them right now, I’ll-”

“Woah, easy,” Virgil cuts in as Logan starts to lean back precariously in his seat. He steadies the legs of the stool with his foot, and eyes the shot glass. “Did you- Jesus, did you drink that  _straight_  or-”

“I’m not,” Logan says abruptly, suppressing a hiccup. “Straight. That is.”

“O... kay?” Virgil says. He discreetly pushes the drink out of Logan’s reach. “I mean, that’s nice-”

“That was a pun,” Logan sighs. He leans forward, resting his head on the counter. “Do you think Patton would have liked it?”

“Um-”

“But his puns are  _awful_ , have you even- one time, when Roman was making pancakes, he said eggcellent.  _Egg_ cellent. Like excellent. But eggs.”

“Uh, yeah, Logan, I got-”

“And I...  _laughed_.” Logan lifts his head off the counter and sighs again. “Genuinely. What does that say about me?”

Virgil stands to fill up two glasses of water. He pushes one towards Logan. “What do you  _want_  it to say about you?”

Logan groans. “Don’t be philso-phillyso-phils...  _deep_  with me, Virgil, not now.”

Virgil rolls his eyes, and cuts to the chase. “It’s pretty obvious he likes you back, Logan. Did you not listen to him in the car? Just tell him straight. Uh. Well, you know what I-”

“But how?”

Virgil smirks, seeing his opportunity. “Oh, I don’t know... how about ‘Do you want to put your mouth on my mouth?’”

It’s truly a sign of just how tipsy Logan is when he just nods and hums, “Maybe...” Virgil hides a grin when he lifts up the glass of water and completely misses his mouth.

But then, he nearly knocks over his own glass, as his phone screen lights up:  _Roman calling._

“Pick it up!” Logan screeches, and Virgil half swerves out of the way as the water comes dangerously close to his phone.

“I am, I am!” he says hastily. But, he can barely get out the word “hello”, before Roman’s voice is ranting in his ear, and, right now, it’s the most wonderful thing he’s heard:

“Oh my god, Virgil, I’m sorry, I couldn’t find my phone and then I was trying to get the box office to ring you but then I couldn’t remember your number and I’m so stupid, but I’m so used to just clicking Virgil, like  _Virgil_  is your number in my head, does that make sense? No, it doesn’t, shut up, Roman, but then, um anyway, I went back on stage and my phone was on the _ladder, c_ an you even- I’m an absolute  _idiot_ , and oh my god, your texts, yes, talking, talking’s a good idea, let’s- let’s-”

“Roman,” Virgil says. He feels giddy, lightheaded without a drop of alcohol. “Where are you?”

Roman gives a sharp inhale, and Virgil can hear his frantic running in the background. “Five minutes away, tops. I’m going as fast as I-”

“I’ll come and meet you,” Virgil says, and he’s already turning, running down the stairs, distantly hearing Logan cheer as he goes.


End file.
